Hope it's OK to post this here, though it isn't diet-related.

So..more fun with the 40's! Went to they eye doctor the other week after putting it off forever. I was expecting to pay around $250-$300 or so for new glasses (unless I could find frames I liked & a package on sale)...I'd actually put $300 extra in my flex-spending plan this year for that purpose.

Well, welcome to middle-aged eyes! I needed not even BIfocals, but "multifocals!!" MULTIfocals???!!! Holy crap! I didn't even know there was such a thing. I kinda knew that bifocals were coming, since I'd been lifting my old glasses up & down to read things, holding the bottles in the drug store at a scary distance to read labels, etc! But the price change for lenses from "single vision" to progressives...wow! Even with some discounts from my insurance (we don't have vision coverage, but you get discounts at certain stores), my glasses came to $458!! OUCH!

Anyone else been through this lovely experience recently?! And/or the experience of putting those suckers on for the first time?!!

I picked mine up yesterday. It's an interesting adjustment. Right now I feel like a bobble-head doll, trying to figure out how and where to look at everything because there are three different strengths in these things. LOL! I had a late night last night too, so I really had a serious headache by the time I got home.

Yet another new thing to deal with. Oh well!

OK, I'm lurking (I post on the 50 somethings threads).
Yes - same experience. My last pair of multi-focal glasses was almost $400 AFTER applying my vision insurance (from both DH and mine).

But, it is worth it - I love my progressives. It did take me almost 2 weeks to get used to them, stairs are particularly scary. But, once your brain adjusts, they are wonderful!

Hang in there - and - your health and eyesight are worth the expense. But, I gotta tell you - I leave them lying around a lot less, I would hate to have to replace them!!!

Oh, and one more "blessing" of being over 40 - your eyesight changes more often as well - you will probably need new progressives sooner

CountingDown is right. I don't have multi-focals... yet... just bifocals. Darned expensive anyway! But my eyes have changed more quickly than before. However, my mom told me that it slows down at some point and you then "settle" in to the same prescription.

I have been wanting to go get a pair of single vision glasses to have in addition to these. When we go hiking or hunting in the mountains, coming down hill is difficult with the bifocals.

Fun stuff this aging thing!

I have a pair of the multifocals. Took me a while to get used to them. I do like them.

At my last checkup I decided I needed a pair of prescription sunglasses. They had a special 50% off. I almost bought them. $300 for a pair of sunglasses I couldn't do it. I would like to have a spare pair of glasses. It's really weird when I wear my old bi-focals.

To add insult to multiple injuries...I took the new glasses off to clean them this afternoon, and they popped open on the side and one of the lenses came out! I think a screw came out, but I can't find it anywhere. I was just getting more used to them too.

Oh well, hopefully I can get them fixed quickly tomorrow afternoon. You'd think they'd make thema little better when they have to send for them, they cost more, etc. When it rains...

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. Yeah, this getting old stuff is lots of fun!!

The trifocal/multifocal/progressive thing is so you get the middle-distance as well, which you need for working on the computer, for example. Anyway, that's what I think.

I have regular contact lenses for distance. Without them, I can read and see close up, no problem. With them, I can't, so I use cheapo reading glasses for computer work and reading.

But I no longer wear my contacts at home, so I got progressive lenses for using the computer, doing chores, etc. Most of the time I don't use them for the computer and just stick my eyes up close to the monitor...

I wanted to say two things:

1. I can't use my progressives for reading. The docs swaer they're the right prescription, but I cannot see the print in books, on food boxes, etc. So the progressives work for middle and distance for me, but not close up. Anyone else have this problem?

2. My vision changes back and forth. Sometimes it clears up and I don't need reading glasses at all with my contacts. Sometimes I must must have them. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks Siena. I got my glasses back late yesterday and I'm adjusting again. A little less bobble-heady now!

This is interesting, because this is the area that was bothering me most beforehand (that lifting up the glasses and/or squinting to read the paper, holding the bottle away to read the labels in the drug store...). And I'm finding it the hardest thing to adjust to now. I hope it's mostly a matter of getting used to holding and focusing my eyes a different way, since now I have to use the bottom of my glasses to read. But it doesn't feel as clear as I would have expected it to, or as the other distances are now starting to.

I'm sorry you're having to use several different methods to see.

I see every distance really well with my progressives. Reading isn't difficult at all. I have had 4 different pairs of progressives over the years, and my current pair is the best for both reading and computer work. I agree - progressives are wonderful for working on the computer - much better than when I had single or bi-focal lenses.

On the sunglasses note - I sprung for Transition lenses when I bought my glasses. It did add $100 to the price of my glasses, but was cheaper than a separate pair of prescription sunglasses. And - I love not having to carry another pair of glasses (or clip ons) with me.

I am at the age where my mother was when I used to make fun of her when she moved her head side to side, lifted her glasses like she was flashing someone, made me thread needles for her. I never thought I would get as old as my mother. And now my kids make fun of me when I do what my mother did. I tell them what she told me too, "You have younger eyes, you can do this for me."
Now a question. Do multifocal contacts work? Can you see as well with them as with glasses?
I've wanted contacts but I haven't dared because if I can't see I just take my glasses off and squint. You can't just throw your contacts aside. But I hate glasses. Any ideas?

They did tell me about the mutifocal contacts, but I didn't ask how they work. I can't even imagine - I used to have plenty of trouble getting the regular contacts in at times back in the day. I would imagine these have to be lined up a certain way.

I am really liking the glasses now that I've had them for a week. I'm seeing everything so much better, and I'm able to read normally again. Sometimes the print on bottles in the drugstore still gives me trouble, but that seems like it goes on and off.

I hope you get the info on the contacts from someone!

Glad you can see again!

I never wore glasses at all until my 40th birthday. The first call I got that morning was the eye doctor telling me my bi-focals were ready tobe picked up! NOT a great start to the 40's! LOL

My eyes started going bad at age 20. I'm now probably on the verge of needing bi-focals because I'm having to do that 'move it away from my face and hold it under a really bright light to read' thing.

Not looking forward to my next eye exam. Hate the eye puff.

there was a day, not too long ago, that the way the vision experts addressed the need for bifocals was to give the patient one contact with one prescription and another with the other prescription and if you needed to use one or the other you would shut one eye. Open both and you would just have to adjust your eyes. I thought "no way. It's tough enough to see as it is." But I saw and ad for multifocal contacts where there was a ring for one prescription and another smaller ring for the other. It looks like with a little adjustment it would work. I just may try it out and let you know if it works.